‘I love India, big fan of PM Modi’: Donald Trump dials Marco Rubio at US event in Delhi

Donald Trump on Sunday, May 24, dialed Secretary of State Marco Rubio during an event celebrating America’s 250 years of Independence at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The US President described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “friend” and stated that ties between the two nations had “never been closer”. He even called himself a “big fan” of PM Modi.

“I love India…I just want to say hello to everybody. I love the Prime Minister. PM Modi is great, he is my friend,” Trump said.

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He added, “India can count on me 100 per cent. If they ever need help, they know where to call. They call right here. We are doing well. We are setting records. We have a record economy, a record stock market and anything India wants to get. I am a big fan of Prime Minister Modi.”

While talking over speakerphone to hundreds gathered at the Embassy event, Trump even lauded US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and called him the “greatest”.

#WATCH | Delhi | US President Donald Trump says, “…India can count on me 100%. If they ever need help, they know where to call. They call right here. We’re doing well. We’re setting records. We have a record economy, a record stock market and anything India wants to get. I am a… pic.twitter.com/EhbgguUiTm

— ANI (@ANI) May 24, 2026

“He’s going down as the greatest Secretary of State in the history of the US…Say hello to Prime Minister Modi and let him know I’m a big fan,” he said.

Notably, Trump’s remarks came amid Rubio’s four-day visit to India, with key focus on repairing strains in bilateral ties and further advance cooperation in key sectors like defence, trade and energy.

Rubio met Prime Minister Modi on Saturday, followed by his meetings with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval on Sunday.

Speaking at the event in New Delhi, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor shared that every time he gets to talk to Trump, “one of the first questions the President will ask is, how is my friend, the Prime Minister (Modi), doing? And that is something that is important to convey because this relationship is not new.”

Gor added, “I’m especially proud that this spring our embassy brought a record-breaking delegation, which will continue over the weeks and months ahead, as we continue our work here in India…”